VICTORIA, May 9, 2013 /CNW/ - LABCON2013, the national conference of the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS), will bring together laboratory professionals from across the country. The conference will be held in Victoria, British Columbia from May 11 - 13, 2013 at the Fairmont Empress Hotel.

LABCON2013 is the premier professional development conference for laboratory professionals and is the largest event of its kind in Canada. Over 350 lab professionals will converge on Victoria to discuss various laboratory and health care related topics. The conference is returning to British Columbia for the first time since 2008.

"We are excited to be back in British Columbia," says CSMLS Chief Executive Officer, Christine Nielsen. "BC has the second largest population of lab professionals in the country and they face unique challenges as one of the few remaining unregulated jurisdictions."

British Columbia is one of two provinces where medical laboratory technologists (MLTs) are not regulated. MLTs are a regulated health profession in AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NB, NS and NL. The purpose of professional regulation is to protect the public.

"The CSMLS believes the regulation of MLTs in all jurisdictions in Canada is essential to high quality health care," states Heather Autio, President of CSMLS' Board of Directors. "Regulation ensures that medical laboratory technologists are educated to a consistent standard, that they demonstrate required competence prior to entering the workforce and that they maintain that standard throughout their career through continuing education."

The CSMLS has also recently called for the regulation of medical laboratory assistants, another vital lab profession, which are currently not regulated in any province or territory in Canada.

The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science is the national certifying body for medical laboratory technologists and medical laboratory assistants, and the national professional society for Canada's medical laboratory professionals. Incorporated in 1937 as the Canadian Society of Laboratory Technologists, the society has over 14,000 members in Canada and in countries around the world.

SOURCE: CANADIAN SOCIETY FOR MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE

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